She's Not Our Daughter! Ch 65

Only Me?

Sierra rushed into her room.

Cassius' confession left her burning. Images of the past flashed through her mind—specifically, the exact moment he first appeared in Sufe Village and reunited with her.

Back then, everything felt completely ordinary, and I experienced no emotions. Why am I acting like this now?

This was entirely unacceptable. Just remembering his recent declaration made her face flush intensely.

I am losing my mind.

Consequently, Sierra fled in a desperate hurry right after declaring she would never get involved with that jerk. It was a foolish escape executed without a single thought for the aftermath or clean-up. But absolute panic had seized her.

Get a grip, Sierra. Now is not the time to play romance games! I must rescue Sister somehow.

Her sister either lay dead somewhere or faced a terrifying accusation as a murder suspect!

Her gaze turned resolute. Yes, everything had to wait until she handled her sister's situation first. She vigorously shook her head, forcing herself to forget Cassius' intense gaze.

[Sierra] "Let's focus on mindless labor first."

Inhaling and shedding a long breath to psych herself up, she thumped her brow against the table. Knocking her forehead repeatedly against the raw wood clarified her thoughts. But.......

"Please, don't drive me crazy."

His words pierced her mind like a relentless phantom image.

[Sierra] "Aaargh!"

She let out a massive scream.

"Don't drive me crazy."

His voice grew even louder, dominating her thoughts completely.

Sigh, should I just work for now?

When her mind turned restless and chaotic, diving into tasks offered a superior distraction to redirect her attention.

Yes, let's work!

Out of habit, she locked her gaze onto the three-tier drawer beside the table. The topmost drawer stored her precious magic potions, the middle shelf held yarn balls and gossip sheets, and the bottom section stacked the pharmacy research papers she worked hard to collect.

When focus eludes me, reading a research paper and slipping into a cozy sleep works best.

Staring sharply at the drawer, she checked the bottom shelf with a resolute expression.

[Sierra] "......Huh, what's this?"

Usually, only yarn balls or gossip sheets occupied the space, but an unfamiliar envelope rested directly on top of the gossip papers.

Did a letter arrive?

Sierra nonchalantly pulled out a paper knife and sliced the wax seal, indulging in petty theories that it might be laundry documents, a message from Ezel, or a letter from Abel. However, the neat handwriting inside belonged to her sister.

What on earth.......

Her sister suddenly sent a letter? The contents left her utterly baffled.

[My beloved Sierra. By now, Hanael must have awakened her power.]

Sierra looked down at the letter with a bewildered expression. The familiar strokes matched her sister's handwriting perfectly.

She bolted from her chair in a rush. Her heart pounded wildly, and her entire body trembled like a leaf. A vivid premonition that her sister might be dead had lingered deep within her soul.

[Sierra] "Sister...... is alive?"

Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. Clenching her fists, she breathed deeply.

[Sierra] "What is...... this?"

But she had to maintain absolute calm in times like this.

[You must hide the fact that Hanael awakened her power.]

Sierra narrowed her eyes suspiciously. The lines of text filled her vision once more.

[You won't trust me right now, but you must. You must follow my words. You absolutely must.]

Bizarre. She had never laid eyes on this letter before, yet a deep sense of déjà vu struck her, as if she had already read the words.

Grabbing her throbbing temples, she looked down at the letter again.

[Just as you hid your power during childhood, Hanael must do the same now.]

Is it Sister?

She held her breath. Only two people in the entire world knew that Sierra intentionally hid her true skills at the Academy: her sister and Sierra herself.

Nothing else matters. It doesn't matter if Hanael's gifts stay hidden.

Only one detail mattered: her sister's survival. Writing a letter and secretly placing it inside the Duke's mansion proved her sister remained alive.

Her heart swelled with profound joy. Rubbing the crisp surface of the letter, she took a quiet, deep breath. In a raspy voice that felt completely unfamiliar, she murmured.

[Sierra] "Sister......."

A heavy tone broke from her lips.

[Sierra] "Is...... alive."

She closed her eyes and opened them again. Hope and ecstasy filled her gaze. Now that she knew her sister lived, she only needed to track her down.

Hanael's genius stood revealed, and a definitive clue about her sister emerged. Whether a maid delivered this message or her sister entered the room directly.......

I don't know why she can't appear before me, but I finally found a clue!

The day had turned out completely perfect and delightful.

I will wash my hands of that murder case entirely now.

Sierra smiled brightly, looking down at the text. At that exact moment, she paused.

What is this?

The exterior of the letter looked strangely worn, as if written a very long time ago. The texture resembled an old document, not a freshly written note.

[Sierra] "Why would someone who loves new things use such old stationery?"

She tilted her head. Yet she detected no distinct contradictions.

If Sister sent this letter, perhaps her tastes simply changed.

Fortunately, the thought didn't bother her much. Humming a tune, Sierra folded the letter and tucked it away. More importantly, since her sister had supposedly visited:

Should I casually ask Cassius if an intruder entered the estate?

Asking about an infiltration should suffice. The Archmage's traces wouldn't be caught by ordinary means anyway. Confirming that a powerful trace of magic existed—and ensuring it wasn't black magic deployed by her sister's enemies—would bring total relief.

After all, she is entangled in a murder case....... and her situation looks highly unusual.

Why her sister refused to stand before her, what the Icarus Murder Case truly meant, and why a letter in her sister's handwriting appeared right now—everything raised immense suspicion. Therefore, Sierra intended to tap the stone bridge before crossing it, proceeding with extreme caution.

It is incredibly embarrassing to visit him again!

Sierra kicked the floor wildly. Consequently, finding out from Cassius whether an intruder existed required several days of mental preparation.

---

[Cassius] "No intruders entered the estate."

They sat at the small drawing table inside his bedroom.

Sierra had rushed into his room, boldly demanding, "Let me know if someone broke into my room!"

After sharing tea with Cassius for a few hours, the Head Maid entered to deliver the report.

[Sierra] "Absolutely?"

[Head Maid] "Yes."

The Head Maid's definitive confirmation left her completely bewildered. Cassius dismissed the Head Maid with a swift glance. Sierra still wore a panicked face.

Then where did Sister's letter come from? Or is she too powerful for them to detect?

A faint crack appeared on the expression of Cassius, who had felt overjoyed that Sierra sought him out.

[Cassius] "Calm down, Sierra."

[Sierra] "Um...... I just wonder if it is entirely real."

He gripped her shoulders.

[Cassius] "Sierra."

[Sierra] "......Yes."

[Cassius] "I don't know the reason you hunt for an intruder."

He hesitated to speak, causing Sierra to swallow hard. Witnessing him express such rare difficulty and struggle to open his mouth was an unusual sight.

[Sierra] "Yes, tell me."

[Cassius] "First of all, an ancient barrier protects your room."

[Sierra] "An ancient...... barrier?"

Hearing this for the first time, her ears perked up. Cassius rubbed his face and continued.

[Cassius] "Yes. A barrier cast by past Great Archmages protects the entire Duke's mansion, but your room holds an even more exceptional status."

She looked at him with dark suspicion. He avoided her gaze, a rare occurrence. Then Cassius spoke in a low voice, as if confessing.

[Cassius] "Because it belongs to the mistress of the Ideos family, a dragon bestowed a direct blessing upon it."

[Sierra] "What?"

[Cassius] "......."

[Cassius] "And I also summoned separate sorcerers, so no one can easily break into your room. Unless you or I personally permit the individual."

What nonsense is he talking about with sorcerers?

Sierra thought, her eyes widening as she froze. Cassius added hurriedly and gently.

[Cassius] "I apologize for not telling you in advance."

[Sierra] "No, I mean!"

But to Sierra, a firm believer in health and safety first, the revelation of extra spells or barriers didn't spark anger.

[Sierra] "My room is the Duchess' room. Suddenly, I carry the heavy weight of it."

[Cassius] "There is no need for that. I am not asking you to execute any duties as the Duchess; it is purely my, just......."

He regulated his breathing, choosing his words carefully before speaking.

[Cassius] "It was merely my selfish desire to ensure you stay safer."

[Sierra] "Fine, setting that aside......."

It was a completely unexpected truth, but she knew well that both the Grand Madam and Cassius treasured her deeply and loved her intensely. In short, it was unexpected but not a shocking revelation. However.......

[Sierra] "More importantly, your words mean that no one can access my room?"

Locking eyes with her, he nodded quietly.

[Cassius] "That is certain. Furthermore, no traces of an intrusion exist."

[Sierra] "Even if the person who broke in was a Great Archmage......."

Refusing to abandon hope, her words trailed off. But Cassius countered firmly.

[Cassius] "Even if it were the Master of the Magic Tower or a Great Archmage, anyone lacking your permission can't enter."

[Sierra] "......."

[Cassius] "Absolutely."

[Sierra] "Then...... did any of the maids enter my room?"

[Cassius] "The Head Maid already verified it using a magic tool."

Sierra held onto a sliver of hope and stared at Cassius again.

[Cassius] "No maids or servants entered your room during that timeframe."

[Sierra] "How can that be......."

No, then where did the letter come from? This is completely, utterly bizarre!

If an ancient barrier protected it, even her sister couldn't slip in secretly. But it made no sense. Sierra checked the drawer every single day. She read romance novels or gossip sheets, and sometimes stored witty joke books inside. She also kept her sister's letters. In short, she opened and closed the drawer every single hour, to add a touch of exaggeration. Why?!

This makes no sense.

Refusing to abandon hope, her lips parted.

[Sierra] "Not even a single soul?"

[Cassius] "Yes."

He closed his eyes and opened them.

[Cassius] "To be exact, except for one person."

His tone carried a faint hint of dread.

[Sierra] "Who is that one person?"

Cassius closed his eyes and opened them quietly. He looked highly reluctant to utter the words. Sierra stared deep into his blue eyes, urging his next statement.

[Sierra] "Tell me who it is."

[Cassius] "You."

[Sierra] "......."

[Cassius] "Sierra, there was no one except you."

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